University of St Andrews Rifle Club

Common Position Issues:

• Sling is not taught – tighten the sling

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• Rifle feels like it is slipping down and to the right – either the sling is not tight enough or the left elbow is positioned too far to the left and needs to be moved to the right creating a straight line between the shoulder, elbow and hand

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• Rifle feels heavy – the rifle weight is not fully supported by the sling and arm position. Tighten the sling and/or adjust the left elbow further forward and/or to the right

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• Pain in left wrist – usually caused if the wrist is bent and the muscles are being used to support the rifle on the left hand. This can be fixed by adjusting the location of the hand under the rifle to create a more natural position. Discomfort can also be caused by the sling being too tight, in this case lengthen the sling.

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• Pain in left hand – hand may be pressing too hard against the handstop or the hand may be at an odd angle under the rifle. Adjust the position of the hand to relieve pressure or move the handstop forward and lengthen the sling

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• The head cannot get into a position for the eye to see through the sights – check if the rifle is the right size and if the sights are too far forward or back on the rifle. The shooter may be lying too straight in relation to the target and should increase the angle they are laying at. Alternatively the butt may be too high or low in the shoulder, check the butt is in the correct location in the shoulder.

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• Pain in lower back or side – body is twisted or the torso is lifted too high off the ground. Check the body is laying straight and is not bent/curved, the left shoulder, hip and knee should be in a straight line. If the body is straight and the discomfort is not resolved a lower shooting position should be adopted (see high and low position descriptions earlier in the chapter)